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Thursday, April 17, 2014

Going to a Writer’s Conference: Tips for Survival and Success – Part One, Before the Con

You may be a new writer, you may have some publications
under your belt, but at any level I’d highly suggest going to a Writer’s Conference.
I know that for many people going to a conference (or a “con”) can be
intimidating, especially if you are painfully shy. I’d like to try to make it
easier for you by giving you some tips that will help you survive a con, and
hopefully lead to further success in your writing career. This entry became
longer than I had anticipated, so I will break it up into before, during and
after the con posts.

Before you do anything, choose which con is right for you.
How do you do that? Research a little bit. There are cons for specific genres,
and you can find a short list with descriptions provided by Suzanne Church (who is also a part of the Stop-Watch Gang):
http://stopwatchgang.blogspot.ca/2012/04/conventions.html?m=1

You can also find out about different cons through writing
organizations and message boards. You can find a pretty good list of
organizations here: http://www.forwriters.com/groups.html

Before the Con:

While you’re online, search for pictures taken at the con in
the past to get a feel for how things look and people who attend. (Are they in
costume? Business casual?) Get on message boards and ask questions. This way,
people get to know your name and can offer more details like the best place to
get lunch, a list of things you absolutely can’t miss, and how to get there on
the cheap. You might also find someone willing to share the drive, or a hotel
room.

Once you’ve saved up your money and planned the trip, there
are a few things you should do before you show up.

Make a small website/blog, and some business cards. I’ve
heard people say, “But I haven’t published anything yet!” All the more reason.
Post blog entries about what you’re currently working on, or other things that
interest you. Get on Facebook and Twitter and make yourself accessible. Your
card should have your full name clearly printed, plus your website/blog and
email. An address or phone number isn’t really necessary. Just give something
to people to remember you by when they get home. (And I’ll revisit this later.)
If you have a published book, make bookmarks to hand out. They can be folded to
business card size and put in a pocket.

Read up on people. I will admit that since I had my kids I
have not done this as much as I should. Look at who the guests of honour are,
and what they’ve accomplished. Check out the list of other attendees and see
what they’ve written, and who their publishers are. If you are not the type
that finds it easy to strike up a conversation with people, perhaps have some
questions in mind that you could ask.

Find a buddy! It is much easier to navigate a con, and keep
your sense of humour, if you have someone to go with. So while you’re talking
to people online and asking questions, mention that it’ll be your first time attending.
You might find a writer who is willing to take you under their wing. Someone
who knows faces and is already shaking hands with the people you need to know,
has valuable coat-tails. You may find another newbie who’s just as nervous as
you are. At the very least, having a buddy will help with those awkward moments
when you don’t know what to do, you can talk to each other and feel a little
less like a deer in headlights.

If you have already published a book or short stories,
contact the people running the con and ask if you can be part of the
programming. Usually there are panels (a group of people talking about a
specific topic), readings (you read from your work), and some cons offer a
signing where all of the writers make themselves available to sign their work
for people.

When you know you’re going, post it! Let everyone know where
you’ll be and when. Also, make printouts of your picture, book cover, reading
time and location (if applicable) so that people will come and hear you read. You
might want to make sure you have a good photo to work with. Selfies don’t
count.

Are you launching a book? Talk to your publisher about a
book launching party, they might help you with either extra copies of your book
to sell, signage, or maybe even pick up a little bit of the cost. If you are
throwing a party, contact the people running the conference as you probably
have to book a room in advance. You will need to supply some food, drinks both
alcoholic and not, and music at the very least. Will you have door prizes? Host
a trivia game? Just don’t make people work too hard, and allow them to network.

If you have more tips or tricks to add for things to do
BEFORE the con, please comment below. We’d love to hear from you.

Stay tuned... I’ll be back next week to talk more about what
to do when you step in the door, the most exciting part!